Dinosaurs

Introduction

In 1905, the New York Times declared that “The Tyrant Lizard King” had arrived in Manhattan and “The newly discovered monster was the absolute warlord of the Earth in his day.” The bones of the Tyrannosaurus rex had been blasted out of rocks in the badlands of Montana by paleontologist Barnum Brown. Shipped by train to New York City, this “monstrous” fossil find was exactly what the American Museum of Natural History needed to draw in crowds.

Natural history museums had a lot of competition in the early 1900s. Opulent art museums easily attracted donors, while circus-style cabinets of curiosities could draw rowdy crowds with items such as “mermaids” made of different animal parts sewn together. Around this time, the American Museum of Natural History’s attendance had fallen. Dinosaur fossils were both pioneering science and spectacle—the perfect solution to their problems.

In 1906, the first T. rex bones went on display—without a head or a tail. Finally, in 1915, the first full Tyrannosaurus skeleton was mounted, and the American Museum of Natural History had lines around the block. The T. rex towered above the exhibit hall with its voracious jaw and giant teeth. Looking at its ghastly skull, it was obvious why this dinosaur captivated the public. An icon was born, and “dino-mania” took over the world.

Today, millions visit natural history museums to view the remains of dinosaurs and other prehistoric giants. When standing before the bones of long-extinct animals, you can’t help but wonder: How old is the Earth? How has our planet changed? The answers can be found by exploring geological time, using clues like fossils, and analyzing ancient rocks. This book is not only about ferocious dinosaurs—it is a journey through Earth’s more than 4.5-billion-year history. In the grand scheme of deep time, humanity has not been here for very long. By learning about geological time, we can better understand the current chapter of Earth’s history and our place in it.